SoulMate
by Songbird4890
Summary: Sequel to BEHIND THE MASK despite it being unfinished. It's been four years since the war. Two Death Eaters have escaped and intend to wreak havoc. Harry pursues them relentlessly, and loses his family to someone he's hated for years.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, readers. Got majorly stuck with **_**Behind the Mask**_**, so I'm writing a sequel without writing the rest of the story. A bit unorthodox, yes, but I'll catch you up in flashbacks. I was just sick of Hogwarts I suppose. **

**DISCLAIMER: If I owned Harry Potter, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction.**

Chapter 1

It had been four years since Harry Potter had won the war. Voldemort was gone. Finished. Kaput. Camille Gordon-Potter, now 20 almost 21, sat behind her desk and stared out at the beautifully sunny June day outside. It was June 13, 2001, and today was a special day. Camille and Harry's daughter, Cossette, was turning four today. And soon there were going to be a babble of tots running around their house in Ottery St. Catchpole in just a matter of minutes. Not that Camille minded the noise. As the brand new Chief of Trauma at the Ottery branch of St. Mungo's, noise was nothing for Camille; it was mainly the fact that she was going to have to deal with the kids alone. Sure, Ron and Kaylee would be there with their twins, along with Hermione and Seamus, as well as Ginny and Neville, but Harry may or may not be there. Most likely not. It had been weeks since Camille and Cossette had seen Harry, and days since their last correspondence, at which Harry promised to be there. Harry took his job as an Auror way too seriously. Camille had to admit that she was happy Harry had found something he loved to do for a living, but he was searching relentlessly for the one pair of Death Eaters that escaped Azkaban and ultimately, death: Matilda Gordon and Lucius Malfoy. It hadn't always been that way though. In the beginning, Harry was the model husband and father. He was loving, kind, and worked hard to provide for his family. But things had changed. Camille stared at the shining wedding band on her left hand, and let the memories wash her away.

_It was the big day. Camille flitted around the bridal suite of the church nervously in her undergarments, a Firewhiskey in her hand. She was getting married. Holy crap. As happy as she was, she was terrified. Her 4-month-old baby girl sat with her Aunt Katie. A knock on the door broke Camille's train of thought. _

"_Camille?" Kaylee asked opening the door. "Camille!! Why aren't you dressed? And give me that," Kaylee said as she entered the room, in the royal blue strapless bridesmaid dress, and grabbed the bottle. "Now, come on. Let's get you dressed. It's almost show time."_

"_Okay," Camille smiled. Stepping into her ivory strapless gown, Camille hiked the dress up to appropriate level. The A-line gown fell to the floor, with a sweeping train dusting the carpet. Kaylee zipped the zipper, and Camille fingered the delicate floral pattern that was embedded into the chiffon overlay. _

"_Honey?" Frederick called from the other side of the door. "We need to get rolling, doll. You too Kaylee!"_

_The best friends stepped out of the room, to the audible gasp of Frederick and Ron, who was obviously Harry's best man. Kaylee set the blusher veil gently over Camille's face and smiled brightly at her. Ron took Kaylee's arm and began to escort her up the stairs. Frederick smiled._

"_You look so gorgeous, Camille. I've never been happier, prouder, sadder, and just a hodgepodge of emotions," he gushed, tearing up a little._

"_Dad, don't even start or I'm going to wash my face off before I reach Harry. We're up." The bridal march started to play._

_All of the people stood, and turned toward the father and daughter. Camille looked up and caught Harry's face, and couldn't help but smile ear to ear at the look on his face. He looked so handsome, but more importantly, he looked the happiest Camille had ever seen him. Even though her eyes were locked on her soon-to-be husband, Camille scanned the rows of guests for distant relatives and friends. She saw her grandparents, James and Estelle Gordon, Hannah Abbott, the Patil twins, and a face that shocked her; Draco. She cast a sideways glance at him, and he smiled at her genuinely. The two had gotten past their differences after finding out that they would be doing their residency at St. Mungo's together._

_The ceremony lasted such a short amount of time. Before either of them had time to think, Camille and Harry were exchanging rings. _

"_Camille Elizabeth Gordon, do you take Harry James Potter to be your lawfully wedded husband for as long as you both shall live?"_

"_I do," Camille almost sang, slipping the platinum wedding band onto Harry's finger._

"_Harry James Potter, do you take Camille Elizabeth Gordon to be your lawfully wedded wife for as long as you both shall live?"_

"_I do," Harry exclaimed, sliding the diamond-encrusted platinum onto her finger._

"_By the power invested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride."_

_Harry lifted the blusher over Camille's head, cupped her face in his hands and pulled her in close, placing his lips on hers. Camille's hands were on his chest, and the thunderous clapping drifted into nothingness. After what was too short of a time, Harry and Camille broke apart._

"_It is my pleasure to present to you Mr. and Mrs. Harry Potter."_

_Camille grabbed her bouquet from Kaylee and she and Harry paraded out of the sanctuary followed by the bridal party. It was such a perfect day; a perfect beginning to the rest of their lives._

Camille continued on her reverie, her fingers running through her shoulder-length curls.

_It had been two years since Harry and Camille had tied the knot, and everything was still wedded bliss. The two had their hands full with an almost two-year-old, Camille's residency, and Harry's duties as an Auror. Still, the small family still found time to remain a tight family unit. At least on the surface._

_Harry's job had turned into a wild goose chase. Days upon nights, Harry searched for Lucius and Matilda as if the world would end if he didn't find them NOW. Camille had given Cossette to Kaylee and Ron for the night, because it was her and Harry's two-year anniversary. _

_Camille sat waiting at the dinner table in her red cocktail dress sipping a glass of wine. The dim mood lighting from the fire, danced merrily around and Camille became jealous of its callous disregard to her unhappiness. The time ticked away slowly, and Camille drank more and more wine, and by about 2 o'clock in the morning she had consumed the entire bottle. In her moderately drunken state (Camille seems to hold liquor pretty well), Camille shuffled around the master bedroom, leaving her red dress in a pile on the floor and changed into baggy sweats and a T-shirt. She plopped on the sofa, waiting for Harry to come in. The alcohol got the best of her, and Camille slipped into sleep._

"_Camille," Harry whispered, placing a hand on hers. _

_Camille started awake. "Harry!" She rubbed her eyes, and as her memory cleared, she began to remember her reason for being on the couch instead of in bed. "Where the hell have you been?" she growled._

"_Doing my job." He said straightly. "Don't you want your mother and Malfoy to be caught and brought to justice?"_

"_Yes. Of course I do, but it doesn't exclude you from spending time with your wife on your fucking anniversary." Camille stood, fire in her eyes._

"_Oh my God. Camille, sweetheart, I'm so sorry!"_

"_You forgot?!?!?!?!"_

"_Camille, please. This assignment has kept me so far out of the loop, I-"_

"_So out of the loop you forget your anniversary?! It was supposedly the happiest day of your life; something you'd never forget. You know, I manage to raise a child practically by myself and juggle my residency and still managed to clean up nicely, make dinner, and get Cossette to Ron and Kaylee's for the night just to give us time to spend together. Yet for some reason, you can't find time to come home at a reasonable time to spend time with me. You keep saying you want another child, but how the hell are we going to pull that off if you never come home?"_

"_I know, Camille. You're right. You juggle more than I could even imagine, but I tracked the diabolical duo all the way into Romania today."_

"_I DON'T CARE! You could've gone to Antarctica for all I care, but you could've done something! You have people who work under you, Harry. Luckily, I was able to get Draco to cover for me. You can make things work, but you have to actually want them to work and try to do something about it."_

"_Camille, can we please not fight about this? I'll run us a nice relaxing bath, and we can enjoy each other's company. Besides, I'm beat."_

"_Oh, Heaven forbid we actually confront some issues because Harry Potter is tired! Do you know how late I stayed up for you? Look! It's nearly dawn!" Camille gestured to the window, where the faintest traces of pink were beginning to color the navy sky._

"_Please, Camille. I don't want to fight."_

"_Then fix this. You've got to be around more often. I can't do this. I'm practically a single parent. My mother and Lucius will continue to run, and there is a whole task force devoted to finding them. I'm well aware you head it, but I'm sure they'd understand you coming home to spend your anniversary with your wife, and spending time with your daughter, who constantly wonders where Daddy is. I've got to take a shower. I've got rounds in 45 minutes," Camille glanced at the clock, and pushed past Harry._

"_Can I join you?"_

"_I'm so not in the mood." Camille disappeared into the bathroom, and Harry heard the door slam._

And things had only gotten worse. As Camille was about to let her memories continue, the doorbell broke her train of thought. Camille took a second to compose herself, and went to the door. She opened it to be greeted with Ron, Kaylee, and their three-year-old twins Luke and Jillian.

"Hey guys! So glad you could come!" She hugged Ron and Kaylee, and crouched down in front of the twins. "Hi, Luke! Hi, Jillian! How about you go on out back, and Cossette will be right there." She watched the twins scamper off and squeal gleefully at the miniature carnival set up in the backyard. "Cossette!" Camille called. "Luke and Jillian are here!"

A little porcelain-skinned girl with jet-black ringlets bounded from the back room. Her bright blue eyes glimmered with delight. She wore a pink polo shirt with denim short overalls and white Keds, a big pink bow in her hair. "Thank you, Mummy!" the little girl squealed, making a beeline for the backyard.

"I can't believe how fast she's growing, Cam," Kaylee said, smiling.

"Yeah," Ron agreed. "It seems like just yesterday you told us you were pregnant."

"Time does fly, doesn't it? Go on out back, and I'll join you eventually," Camille said as the doorbell rang again. She answered the door, and saw Hermione with her son, Henry. "Henry, head on into the backyard, pumpkin. Hermione! How is magical law treating you? I feel like I never see you anymore!"

"It's going really well! I just made partner at the firm as a matter of fact," Hermione said hugging Camille. "Oh, Seamus is going to be a bit late. He got a bit held up at work."

"That's no problem, 'Mione. Did you ask him to drag Harry with him?"

"I did, actually," Hermione smiled, walking into the backyard.

Time passed and eventually the backyard was filled with little kids shrieking with delight on the mini Ferris wheel, roller coaster, and scrambler in the magically enlarged backyard. Camille couldn't help but smile at the pure joy on Cossette's face. Cossette had been slightly sluggish and hadn't gained much weight lately, but today eased Camille's mind that something might be wrong. About halfway into the party, the doorbell rang. Camille wondered who it could be, because she knew Harry would just walk in, and Seamus was already there. She walked to the door, opened it, and saw two piercing grey eyes staring at her.

"Draco! What a pleasant surprise! I thought you had to work today!" Camille smiled, hugging him.

"Dr. Graham let me off for the afternoon. And since I forgot to give you Cossette's present from me to you yesterday, it gave me the perfect excuse to drop by."

"And how did you convince Graham to give you the afternoon off?"

"You don't need to know," Draco said, jokingly. "Now, where is the little princess?"

"Out back. Come on out, and enjoy the barbeque and drinks and such."

"Why, thank you." Draco followed Camille into the backyard, and gasped at the sight. "No holding back, huh?"

"Never," Kaylee answered. "Harry and Camille don't call her Princess for nothing. How you been, Draco?"

"Not bad, Kay," Draco said returning her friendly hug. Ron gave a non-committal head nod. Then Draco heard a delight shriek.

"MISTER DRACO!!!!" Cossette screamed, sprinting in his direction. Draco squatted down to her level. Cossette vaulted herself at him, the force of her small impact sending the two of them backwards.

"Cossette!" Camille scolded. "Be careful!"

"It's okay, Cam. She had some cushion to land on." Draco set Cossette on her feet, and straightened her overalls. He had become like family to the little girl, whose father was hardly ever around. "Is it someone's birthday or something?" Draco joked.

"It's mine, Mister Draco. You knowed that," Cossette giggled.

"It's your birthday?"

"Yes!"

"How old are you?"

"I'm this many," Cossette answered, holding up four fingers.

"Four? Wow. You're getting so old I might just have to return your present. I don't know if you'll like it." Draco pulled a small box out of his pocket.

"Oooh! Mister Draco. I not old. You are!" she teased, snatching the box and running off to the growing pile of presents.

"She's so much like you, Camille," Draco laughed, sitting in the empty chair left by Ginny who had gone inside to nurse her newborn.

"I know. Sometimes it worries me."

"Mummy?" Cossette asked, walking over.

"Yes, my sweet?"

"Is Daddy coming? He said he would but he's not, and he's gonna miss ice keem and presents!" Cossette's lips were pulled into a small frown.

"I don't know, sweetie. Daddy hasn't called me today."

"He didn't call yesserday either," Cossette frowned.

"I know, baby. I know. How about you go play, and I'll try to call Daddy, okay?" She smiled at her daughter, kissed on the forehead and sent her on her way.

"Is everything okay here, Camille?" Draco asked.

"Obviously not, Draco," Camille snapped quietly. "I don't really want tot talk about it."

"Camille!" Ginny called from the doorway. "Harry's on the phone!"

"Thanks! Be right back," Camille said, heading inside. She grabbed the cordless phone from Ginny and went straight into the bedroom slamming the door. "Harry?"

"Hey, darling," Harry cooed from the other end.

"Where the hell are you?" Camille demanded.

"I'm at work. What are you talking about?"

"Did you lose you calendar or something?"

"No, I'm looking at it right now."

"Aren't you forgetting what today is?"

"Oh shit," Harry said after a minute.

"That's right. Oh shit indeed," Camille growled keeping her voice low so no one would know what was going on. Draco was the only one who knew how rocky their marriage was. "Cossette keeps asking about you. You promised you'd be here today. Get your ass home as soon as possible. And I'm not joking."

"Cami, sweetheart, I can't."

"What do you mean you can't?! You promised her, Harry!" Camille yelled, catching Draco's attention through the window.

He came inside the house and stood outside her bedroom door. Draco couldn't help the sick twinge of happiness in his heart at the sound of Camille and Harry fighting. He hated seeing Camille in such pain, but he couldn't help hoping that one day, and soon by the sound of things, that she would be free of Potter and be his once again. Over the past 5 years, Draco never stopped loving Camille, and he needed her, just as much as she needed him though she'd never admit it at the moment. His thoughts were interrupted by Camille's explosion.

"AAARGH! I DON'T CARE HOW YOU DO IT, BUT HARRY, GET YOUR SORRY ASS HOME RIGHT NOW!!!!!" Camille hung up the phone, and began to pace around the room cursing in French. "Merde! Rien! Baise! Diable! Merde, merde, merde!! Mon mari est un abruti!"

Draco knocked on the door, startling Camille. He opened it slowly. "Camille?"

"What?" she snapped.

"Cossette wants to know if we can open presents and eat cake."

"Tell her I had to go to the bathroom, and that I'll be there in a couple of minutes," Camille said, magicking three suitcases, and she began to magic all of Harry's clothes into them.

"Camille, what are you doing?"

"What does it look like? I'm kicking Harry out."

"Today? Shouldn't you give him some notice so he can find a place to live?"

"We have another cottage in Hogsmeade. He'll go there."

"MUMMY!" Cossette wailed. "MUMMY!!!"

Camille glanced out the window, and sprinted out the door. Once in the back yard, Camille stood face to face with the most terrifying sight in the entire world: Cossette being held by her grandmother, Matilda. Cossette, squirming to get free, had tears streaming down her face.

"Let her go," Cam growled, wand drawn.

"And what if I don't, Cami?" Matilda smirked. "You gonna curse me? And risk hitting your precious daughter with a stunning curse at the very least?"

"Give me my daughter, Mom."

Cossette froze. "Gramma?" she whimpered.

"Yes, sweetie. This is your grandmother," Camille answered, glaring at Matilda. "Now, I'm going to ask you nicely. Give me Cossette."

"Or what? You going to get your Auror husband to kill me? Oh. It seems he isn't here. And besides, she is my granddaughter. Don't I get to see her?"

"No, you don't. Now, giver her to me!"

"Okay fine." Matilda practically threw Cossette to Camille, who caught her and hugged Cossette tightly.

"It's okay, baby. Mummy's got you," Camille cooed, trying to assuage her terrified child.

"Don't be so sure of that, my dear," Matilda smirked. "Incendio!" she shouted, pointing her wand at the mini-attractions set up in the yard. And then she disappeared with a loud pop.

Draco sprang into action. "Auguamenti!" Water shot from his wand onto the increasing flames. Luckily, no children were playing on the rides.

Kaylee and Ron both echoed in unison. "Auguamenti!"

"Auguamenti!" Camille bellowed, cradling Cossette. Smoke billowed from the backyard as the flames were extinguished at last.

"Mummy!" Cossette wailed.

"I know, baby. I know. It's okay," Camille mumbled, holding in a flood of tears. "You're safe. I've got you." Camille stared in disbelief at her torched backyard, oblivious to Kaylee's touch on her arm.

"We're going to get everything together. I'll get this cleaned up and if you need someone to stay for a while, Draco offered."

Camille nodded. "Yes. Tell him yes," she whispered.

Time passed and Kaylee, Ron, Hermione and Seamus got the backyard cleared of the debris, and then took the food and presents back into the house. The sun sank low into the sky, the four said their goodbyes to Camille, who was still in shock, and Draco and left. Draco and Camille stood in silence and watched the last of the smoke fade into the navy blue sky. The exhausted Cossette stirred in her sleep and woke up groggily.

"Time to get you dressed for bed, little one," Camille said, the first thing to break the hour-long silence.

Cossette merely nodded, flopping her head back down onto Camille's shoulder. Camille carried the drowsy child into her new and improved big girl room, and sat her on the bed. Draco followed, standing against the doorframe. Camille quickly put Cossette into her polka-dotted nightie, tucked her in, and kissed her goodnight. She looked back on her sleeping daughter, and then turned out the light, and closed the door. Camille walked past Draco, sinking into the couch, and began to sob. Draco sat down next to her, and pulled her to him and let her cry. Camille had been so strong in front of Cossette, that she deserved this.

"It's okay, Camille. She's gone, and you and Cossette are safe."

"For now," Camille sobbed.

"Well, yes. But I don't think Matilda or Lucius will try anything like this again."

"Harry's going to be so angry with me."

"And why would he get angry?"

"Because he's watching his wife snuggling with her ex-lover on his sofa," Harry snarled.

Camille jumped to her feet, and spun to meet Harry's enraged face. "Harry this isn't what it looks like." Camille quickly cast a silencing charm toward Cossette's room so she would be awoken.

"Oh yeah? And what am I supposed to think? I come home after two weeks of hunting the two most wanted people in the magical world and this is what greets me?!?"

"Harry if you'll just let me explain."

"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANYTHING FROM YOU, MALFOY!!!!"

"Harry," Camille said, her tears dried, and anger boiling in her blood. "This isn't what it looks like!"

"OH SURE IT ISN'T! THAT'S WHAT THEY ALL SAY! 'THIS ISN'T WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE, HONEST!'"

"Harry-"

"SAVE IT CAMILLE. I DON'T WANT TO HEAR YOUR PATHETIC EXCUSE FOR WHY YOU'RE HAVING AN AFFAIR!!"

"MATILDA WAS HERE, HARRY!" Camille screamed at the top of her lungs.

"I DON'T—WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!"

"You heard me! My mother was here. Today!"

"And you let her get away?! You didn't kill her? Or at the very least stun her?"

"I WAS MORE CONCERNED WITH GETTING OUR DAUGHTER BACK!"

"But you let her go?!" Harry was consumed by his anger. He brought his hand up and brought it down again across Camille's face with a hard smacking noise. "YOU IDIOT!"

Draco stepped forward placing himself between Camille and Harry. Camille pushed him aside, eyes wide with shock and fear. Then her features changed. She snarled, and magicked all of the suitcases containing Harry's belongings out of the front door. "Get out."

"Camille, what is this?!"

"Get out of this house. You're not welcome here anymore." She began to walk Harry backwards toward the open front door.

"You can't kick me out, you bitch!"

At the door, Camille pushed Harry all of the way out and put a barrier spell so he could no longer enter. "Harry, I want a divorce."

Harry stood there and seethingly shocked look on his face. "What?" he stammered. But his question went unheard as Camille slammed the door in his face.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

It had been a week since Camille had kicked Harry out of the house. She had already served Harry with the required papers. But now the hardest day faced the estranged couple: telling their daughter that Mummy and Daddy were no longer going to live together. Camille was sitting at the baby grand piano that occupied a large part of the office in front of the window. She was playing the piano with a furious precision, something she rarely got the chance to do anymore with her job. Camille was so preoccupied she hadn't noticed that Cossette had been standing in the doorway, until finally she felt a tug on the back of her shirt.

"Mummy?" Cossette asked, a worried look on her face.

"Yes, Cossette? What's the matter, sweetie?" Camille turned to the girl and scooped her up into her lap.

"You've been playing pinano lots this week. And you only play when you're sad. Mummy, are you sad?"

"I am sad, Cossette. Daddy and I had a big fight."

"You guys fight a lot. I hear you fight a lot."

"Well, I'm so sorry you heard us, baby. Mummy and Daddy both have very important jobs that don't let us spend a lot of time together. But something else is bothering you isn't it, Cossette?"

"Yes."

"What is it?"

"Well, yesterday, when I was playing with Luke and Jillian, Luke said that you and Daddy don't love each other anymore! And that you guys were going to never talk to each other again, and that you were going to have to split me in half!" Cossette said, growing slightly more panicked with each phrase.

Camille gulped. Harry needed to be here. "Well, Cossette, darling, you don't have to worry. Daddy and I won't be splitting you in half. Daddy and I will talk to each other I promise. But Daddy and I do have something to talk to you about as soon as he gets here."

"Okay." There was a hard knock on the door and Cossette sprinted for it, and opened it. "DADDY!" she yelled.

"Hoober!" Harry rejoiced, scooping his tiny daughter in his arms. "Tell me, how've you been, sweetheart?"

"Okay. Just listening to Mummy play piano." Cossette proceeded to tell Harry everything that she had done in the past week.

Camille stood leaning against the doorframe, watching the pair. She couldn't help but smile. Harry obviously loved Cossette; it was written plain as day on his face. Camille watched for a few minutes, then quietly made her way into the room and sat on the couch on the other side of Cossette.

"Hello, Harry," Camille said, with a forced smile she hoped looked not as forced as it felt.

"Hello, Camille," Harry answered, returning the same smile. "How've you been?"

"A little stressed out, but I'm doing good. Yourself?"

"Well, that's good to hear. I'm adjusting."

"Good. Anyway, erm, Cossette, sweetie, Daddy and I have something we have to tell you."

"Okay, Mummy. Am I going have a baby brudder or sister?"

"No, honey. Mummy's not pregnant," Harry smiled. "Sorry. Our news isn't quite as happy."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Cossette," Camille began, "Daddy and I have decided that we need to not be—um—one second." Camille took a deep breath. As many as she went over this in her head, it was a lot harder to put out into the open.

"Mummy and I are getting a divorce, baby girl," Harry said, swallowing.

"A diborce?" Cossette questioned, unsure of the big word.

"Daddy and I aren't going to be married anymore," Camille swallowed, finally able to speak again.

"So you and Daddy are going to split me in half!!!" Cossette cried.

"No, Honey. No!" Harry responded.

"Baby, Daddy and I will share you, but there is no way we're going to split you in half. You'll spend part of the time with me and part of the time with Daddy."

"Oh." Cossette was instantly calmed.

"Both Mummy and I love you very much, Cossette."

"And none of this is your fault. Always know that," Camille said, putting a hand on Cossette's back.

Three days later, Camille sat at her kitchen table poring over papers with her newly hired divorce attorney, Blaise Zabini. The two sat close together, bent with their noses nearly touching the paper-strewn wood under the kitchen light. It was nearly one o'clock in the morning, and Camille was thankful she had sent Cossette to visit Papa in Ireland. Suddenly there was a harsh knock on the door, which startled the pair, who were consumed by the daunting task ahead of them. Camille dragged her feet to the door, and upon opening it, found Hermione, Harry's lawyer, standing there with a file in her hand.

"Hermione?" Camille yawned.

"Hello, Camille. So sorry to be bothering you at such a late hour," the witch buzzed as if it were midday. "Harry wanted me to drop off the custody papers so you could look over them, and make sure everything is the way you discussed it before we head into court tomorrow. I'd best be on my way. Harry and I have a long night ahead of us, as do you and Mr. Zabini I suspect."

"Uhh. Yeah. Thanks," Camille stuttered, wrapping her mind around the words that just flew from Hermione's mouth like bumblebees. "Goodnight, then."

"Cheerio," Hermione piped as she walked down the front steps.

"Dear God, that woman is ridiculous," Camille said, bewildered.

"No kidding," Blaise scoffed. "Let's take a look at these custody papers, shall we? More coffee?"

"Yes and yes," Camille answered, rubbing her eyes. She set the file on the table and plopped down in the seat, and opened the file.

Blaise noticed one major problem before Camille's brain had caught up, and snatched the file away.

"What is it?" Camille asked, suddenly worried at her lawyer's demeanor.

"Harry's filed for sole custody," Blaise said, his features sunken into his face.

"WHAT?!" Camille shrieked, now completely irate. "Well, I'm fighting back. We're going to hit and we're going to hit hard, Blaise. I don't care if he is Harry Fucking Potter, he is not taking my daughter away from me."

"Okay, Camille. But I don't advise using those words in court tomorrow. The judge will fry you for it. Trust me. This guy is a stickler for old-fashioned values and all that shit, so I have a feeling he will not let Harry take Cossette from you. Whoa, now. Don't go and start crying on me, Camille. This isn't the end of the world. Harry is just trying to wind you up. He's playing dirty. So if he's going to do that, then so are we."

"But how in the world can Hermione let him toy with the idea of taking Cossette away from me?" Camille sniffled.

"Right now, Hermione is not Harry's best friend. She's his lawyer, and therefore she does as her client asks, and won't question his decision. She's not being the Hermione you know, she's being the Hermione I know. She's a real animal in the courtroom. So be prepared for some tough examination from her, but have no fear, she may be an animal, but I am a fucking beast in there, especially in high-profile divorce cases."

"You better be with how much I'm paying you," Camille joked. "And is this thing seriously high profile?"

"Uhh, yeah. It's only the biggest divorce in the history of the wizarding world. I mean, how often does the savior of the world as we know it get kicked out of his house by the daughter of the most evil wizard ever known to walk to Earth?"

"Shit. There's going to be reporters and cameras and all that fucking shit isn't there?"

"Most definitely. But not worry. I'll take care of you."

"And dammit. He's going to use the fact that Voldemort was my real father against me. You better get the judge to believe that I am NOTHING like that despicable pile of ashes."

"Harry will try his damndest to try and prove that you are a cold-hearted bitch who cared nothing for your marriage and only focused on your career and only had his baby to reel him in so you could make his life a living hell."

"Well, damn. I think it is best we call it a night, Blaise. I think you and I are prepared as best we can be even though we were hit way below the belt with this custody thing."

"You're probably right. I'll see you at the Ministry at 1 o'clock sharp so we can focus our case before the trial begins at 2."

"See you there," Camille said. And with a 'pop' Blaise Disapperated away.

The next morning dawned bright and sunny, a greeting Camille did not want in the slightest. She was about to go through her own personal hell, and of course the birds just had to be singing. The young mother sat soaking in the bathtub, aromatherapy candles burning and music softly playing. She heard someone come into the house, and figured it was probably Kaylee or Ginny come to give his or her support.

"Hello!" she called from the bathroom, and was startled when a man's voice answered her call.

"Hello, Cami," Draco called entering the bathroom. "Whoa! Sorry!" He hastily turned his back.

Camille got out of the tub, and wrapped her fluffy blue towel around her. "Oh come on, Drake. It's not like you haven't seen girl parts before."

"I know, but those are your 'girl parts' and I don't want to see those until you are completely rid of Potter."

"Draco!"

"What? It's not like I've been keeping the fact that I want you a secret. I've wanted you since we were 8."

"I know, but you're a surgeon. You see naked women all the time. And am I really supposed to think that you've held out for me all this time?"

"Yes you are, because it's true," Draco turned to look at her.

"Draco, I'm still married whether you want me to be or not. And I just can't jump into a relationship right off the bat. It's not a good thing to do. And since I'm sure there are going to be reporters all over the place for a while, I just can't." Camille began to apply her makeup at the small vanity in the corner. "It does feel strange though," Camille continued putting on her blusher. "It's odd not having a man in my house any longer. It feels very strange, not having him in bed with me, even though he wasn't much anyway, but now he won't be at all."

"My mother felt the same way when my father was thrown in prison during our sixth year. It just takes some getting used to."

Camille wand-dried her curly brown hair, and headed into the master bedroom. She went for the closet and began rummaging. She emerged from the equally massive closet, wearing a crisp pale blue blouse tucked into a high-waisted black pencil skirt. Conservative black heels adorned her feet, and a black barrette tied some of her ringlets back.

"He filed for sole custody," Camille blurted out.

"What?" Draco gasped, utterly shocked.

"He wants to take her away from me," Camille continued in a solemn detached voice. Draco assumed it was so she wouldn't start to cry, which Camille had done a majority of the morning.

"You have to know that the Wizengamot won't take a four-year-old girl away from her mother. It's unethical and unreasonable. Girls need their mothers, just as all children do. Every wizard on the council who is in his right mind would give you primary custody. You've practically raised her yourself as it is. Harry, the slime, is never home anyway. How in the world is going to spin a story that puts you in a bad light?"

"I don't know, Draco," Camille sighed. "Maybe the fact that I'm Voldemort's daughter, or the fact that I kicked him out without just cause. Maybe he'll put it so everyone thinks that all I ever care about is my career and not my family. I don't fucking know, Draco. But he's Harry Potter, and I'm the spawn of Satan apparently." Camille tried desperately to hold in a flood of tears.

"It'll be just fine, Cami. Blaise is an absolute beast in the courtroom, so you've picked the best of the best. Harry's and asshole, and you're so much better off without him." Draco placed a soothing hand on Camille's back.

"Hey, Draco, can you look outside and see if there are a bunch of reporters outside?"

Draco slid over to the window, and peaked cautiously through the blinds. Millions of flashbulbs went off at once. As Draco backed away from the window, stunned by the flashes, he heard one of the news reporters say,

"And it looks like Draco Malfoy, dear friend, and suspected lover, of Mrs. Potter is inside the house with her at this time. Is it a pre-court quickie or is he just over to show his support?"

"It's like a zoo out there. Do you have to go by Ministry car?"

"Perfect. And yes I do. It's required by the Ministry for us. Only way to ensure that both of us show up. The car should be here right about…now." A car horn beeped. "Perfect timing. You shouldn't come with me. I'll meet you at the Ministry."

"See you there," Draco said with a kind smile.

Camille prepared herself before grabbing her purse containing her lipstick, tissues, and her wand. She walked calmly to the front door, and placed a shaking hand on the knob. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door, and plunged into the overwhelming sea of people. It was almost like she was drowning. Reporters descended on her like vultures, and their constant pressing forward felt like the crushing of water holding her down. The cacophony of noise the flooded her ears were as loud as the crashing waves along the bluff. Camille tried to push her way through to the car and calmly answer a couple of questions, but the flew at her too fast for her brain to comprehend them.

"Is it true you're having an affair with Draco Malfoy?"

"Is Cossette truly Harry's?"

"Do you really spend 100 hours a week at the hospital?"

"Does Cossette actually live with you in this house? Or have you shoved her off to your step-father because you don't want to deal with her?"

Camille wanted to silence the crowd. After seriously contemplating it, Camille waded on through the sea of reporters until finally she reached the car. Camille quickly sat inside and shut the door. Spots covered her field of vision completely disorienting her in the dark interior of the car.

"Good morning to you, Dr. Gordon," and rounded out Percy Weasley, greeted in the rearview mirror.

"Morning, Percy. How're you doing?" Camille answered, taking in a deep breath.

"Pretty well. Penelope is pregnant, and the cravings are worse this time around so I've gained like 30 pounds just satisfying her wants." He chuckled.

"Well, congratulations, Percy. Children are quite the blessing." Camille smiled tiredly.

"Thank you, Camille. How're you holding up?"

"As well as can expected I suppose. Everything was going so well as far as assets, but when it comes to Cossette, Harry and I just can't seem to make stuff work."

"That's what I read in the Prophet. Rotten stuff really."

"You're telling me," Camille snorted.

The rest of the ride was spent in an uncomfortable silence. Neither party knew quite what to say to one another. The hour and a half car ride seemed like torture to the brunette young woman, and the only thing she could think of was her baby girl being taken away from her forever. Camille tried her hardest to push the unhappy thoughts away and out of her mind, but no matter how many walls she tried to put around, the horrifying thoughts crept in one by one, like cockroaches. No matter how hard she stomped on them, they never died. After some time, the car pulled to a stop, and Percy hopped out to open the door for Camille.

"There are billions of cameras. Be prepared," Percy warned, as he stepped aside to help Camille out.

Camille stepped outside and was immediately blinded and deafened once again by an astounding onslaught of reporters, fans, and haters. How in the world could there be this many people who were interested in her and this ordeal? Oh yeah. The entire wizarding world was interested. It's not everyday the savior of all wizards gets kicked out of his house and served with divorce papers by Voldemort's daughter.

'_Ugh,'_ Camille thought. _'My life could not get much worse right about now.'_ Just then, another Ministry car pulled up. Camille looked back over her shoulder just in time to see her ex-husband step out of his car, looking sharp in a black pin-striped suit. _'Great. I hate karma.'_ Camille realized the advantage quickly though, as reporters flocked to the dark-haired hero. A few reporters lingered by Camille and asked her a question she heard another reporter ask Harry just a few feet away.

"What do you plan to do in court today, Dr. Gordon?"

Camille looked at the reporter for a minute. Blaise hadn't prepared her for this question. "Well, I plan to go in there and plead my case like any person would. All I can do is my best and hope that Mr. Potter and I can come to terms on an arrangement for our daughter."

"Where is your daughter today?"

"Cossette is with her grandfather in Ireland. The one thing Mr. Potter and I have agreed on so far is to keep Cossette as far away from all of this as long as we can. There is no need to put her through this. It's been hard enough for her as it is."

"We hear Harry has filed for sole custody. How do you feel about that?"

"Well, I feel how can assume any mother feels at the thought of having her child taken away from her." Camille may have been answering the reporter's questions, but she completely aware of Harry answers as well.

"Understandable, Dr. Gordon," the reporter commented. "Best of luck today in court."

"Thank you," Camille smiled. _'Hey!'_ she thought. _'I did pretty good on my own! Maybe this questioning thing won't be so bad.'_ But her temporary happiness was drowned as she remembered Harry's answer to the first question she was asked.

'_We're going to go in there and hit as hard as we can,'_ he had answered. _'We're going in there and with a full arsenal of evidence against Dr. Gordon, and we'll break her. I will get my daughter. Camille is unfit to take care of her alone.'_

It wasn't the fact that Harry was going to hit hard that bothered Camille so much. She and Blaise were prepared to do the same thing. It was his last comment that struck Camille at her core, and nearly knocked the wind out of her. She expected for Harry to play hardball, but calling her an unfit mother without just cause shook Camille through and through. It almost made her sick to her stomach. Once inside, she was immediately met by Blaise and the rest of the legal team. She saw Draco away in the distance being bombarded with reporters dressed in a sleek grey suit.

"Why is Draco all dressed up?" Camille asked.

"He's our star witness, Camille. He volunteered to testify in your defense in the very beginning, but asked me to keep it a secret. He didn't want it to get out and make things look suspicious."

"Oh. Okay," Camille answered slightly dazed. She was really here fighting for her daughter, and ultimately herself. Without Cossette, Camille felt as if she'd be nothing, as if her world would crumble. Reality set in all around Camille as she realized just how real everything was. The lawyers, the reporters, her security detail (who she hadn't noticed had followed her from the car into the building, and now flanked her on both sides), and the large wooden door in front of her in which she would sit and plead for the sake of her child. The dark flooring of the Ministry showed shadowy reflections of officials walking around trying to pretend nothing was happening, even though every one of them was itching to stop and stare. The Camille saw a face she was itching to see: Kaylee.

"Oh, sweetie," Kaylee cooed, coming forward to embrace her best friend. "I was hoping this day would not have to happen. Ron and I are at such a cross-roads."

"I can't imagine how difficult this is for you both. But I appreciate your support." Camille hugged her friend tightly.

"You know I'm always in your corner." Kaylee smiled. "And," she lowered her voice to whisper, "Ron is in your corner too, but Harry called him to testify against you. And he was so terrified with how frantic Harry was that he couldn't say no."

Camille chuckled softly. "You can mention that in your testimony then." The friends pulled away just as the front door opened, and the large hall was filled with a eruption of applause as Harry entered. Camille did her best to keep her face calm and unaffected, but Kaylee made no effort to hide her disgust.

"I can't believe him," she muttered, wrinkling her face with a look of pure disgust. "It's sickening the way he's acting."

Camille only nodded. That was the only answer she could give, because the rest of her self-control was being spent on keeping a neutral face and not vomiting at the rancid way Harry was behaving. Just then, the door to the courtroom opened, and the audience of sorts filed in taking their seats in the gallery. The witnesses were next and sat on the front row of the gallery. Last, Harry and Camille filed in behind their legal teams and took their seats at opposing tables. Both were sworn in, and took their seats. The clock struck 2 o'clock, and the room went silent. Dead silent. The bailiff of sorts, stepped forward.

"All rise!" he announced. "The honorable Judge Cormac McLaggen presiding." Cormac, in sweeping black robes, strutted into the room, and took his seat at the bench. "Both parties are sworn in, Your Honor. You may be seated."

"We are today to settle the matter of Gordon vs. Potter in the custody of their daughter, Cossette Lily Potter. Mrs. Finnegan you may begin with your opening statement.

Hermione stood and walked around to the front of her table to a podium. "Your Honor, ladies and gentlemen of the courtroom, I am here today in hopes of securing my client's wishes. Mr. Potter is not only the hero of wizards and Muggles alike, he is a doting father…"

Camille listened with a stunned intensity. Hermione was quite the lawyer. And her opening statement seemed to drag on for hours upon end, when in reality it only lasted about 5 minutes. Camille hoped Blaise had his big boy pants on today, because he was going to need them. Camille had never heard Hermione bring down someone as hard as she just slammed her. It took every ounce of brain function for Camille not to let her jaw hit the table. Soon, Blaise got up, and Camille was jolted with a rush of adrenaline.

"Your Honor, people of the court, and members of the Wizengamot, I stand before you today to make you see Mr. Potter's superstar status and look at the human side of this matter. I ask you to open your hearts to a hero in her own right, but also an incredible mother, and a practically single parent even while in a marriage to Mr. Potter…"

The hours continued on. Witness after witness was called to the stand, examined and cross-examined by two very determined lawyers. The key witnesses, such as Draco, Ron, and Kaylee along with Harry and Camille were saved until after lunch. Cormac called for a lunch recess at noon, and the courtroom emptied. Both parties went to their separate chambers to go over testimonies. Camille sat in a chair, staring down at a delicious sub sandwich, but had no stomach to eat it.

"Camille, you're pale as a ghost," Draco said. "You need to eat something."

"He's right, Camille," Blaise agreed, motioning to the sandwich.

Camille picked it up, and took a bite. She swallowed hard, and turned a slight shade of green, pushing the food away. "I can't eat." She conjured a wastebasket and vomited into it. Draco rubbed her back lightly.

"Well, Draco is up right after lunch. Followed by Ron and then Kaylee. Then it will be Harry and then you, Camille. I'm warning you now, to be prepared for a Hermione you don't know. You are what makes or breaks this case for either party. The questions she'll ask will get personal. Anything from your relationship with Draco, to your unfortunate lineage."

"I know. I'm terrified," Camille admitted.

"You'll be fine, " Kaylee assured placing a hand on Camille's.

"We're here for you," Draco continued, copying Kaylee.

Before she had time to think, Camille found herself being ushered back into her personal torture chamber. One by one, Draco, Ron, and Kaylee testified and were cross-examined. Camille saw a side to both Hermione and Blaise she hadn't seen before. Both lawyers questioned with a ferocity of two lions trying to take control of the pride. It was getting ugly. Kaylee ended up crying on the stand as Hermione grilled her with questions that ultimately seemed unnecessary. Harry was called, and he swaggered over to the stand, smirking the entire way as he watched Kaylee take her seat in tears.

Hermione began her campaign for Harry. She asked him all of the right questions: how his job was in an effort to keep his daughter safe, how she loved him, and was always a "daddy's girl" and so on. Harry's answers included the phrase "Camille is an unfit mother" and all it's variations. Then Hermione asked a question Camille and Blaise were not prepared for.

"Do you believe Dr. Gordon ever loved you?"

"I think she loved me because of Cossette, not because of me. I always knew her heart lied elsewhere."

"You mean with Mr. Malfoy?"

"Yes. I felt like the only reason she stayed with me is because she got pregnant. And if she only does something out of obligation, how am I to know if Cossette is in the proper hands?"

"Did Camille ever have an affair with Mr. Malfoy?"

"If not physically, then definitely emotionally."

"How were the intimate relations between you and Dr. Gordon?"

"Well, fantastic for me because I love her, but it seemed a bit forced on her end. I think she faked her orgasms a majority of the time."

Camille's jaw dropped, and she turned tomato red. Her eyes glassed over with tears. Blaise looked shocked. Draco had a fierce look on his face, and Kaylee looked as if she was going to vomit.

"Thank you, Mr. Potter. Your witness, Zabini."

Blaise took his stand against Harry and hit him with everything he had.

"In the four years you and my client were married, how many nights would you say you came home?"

Harry momentarily lost his cool. "I would say maybe, if I lumped the days together, a year out of the four."

"So you're saying you were only home 356 days out of 1434 days?"

"Yes," Harry replied shakily.

"And what kept you away so often?"

"My job as an Auror for the Ministry."

"And what exactly is your assignment?"

"I head a search team in an effort to track down Lucius Malfoy and Matilda Gordon and bring them to justice."

"So you head a team. Meaning you have other Aurors under your command then?"

"Yes."

"Why then did you only come home so few nights? If you have people who work under you, wouldn't it make sense to let them do some of the work so you could maintain a healthy marriage and relationship with your child?"

"I only wanted my wife and daughter to be safe, so I did everything in my power to make it so."

"But you could've come home and spent time with your daughter chose not to, leaving your wife at the time to raise your child practically on her own while juggling a residency with St. Mungo's Hospital. Is that correct?"

"I suppose it is," Harry said, slightly defeated.

"I have no further questions, Your Honor."

"You may step down, Mr. Potter," Cormac said.

"I call Dr. Camille Gordon to the stand," Blaise said.

Camille stood tall, her shoulders back, and walked coolly to the stand, and took her seat. Blaise's examination went exactly as planned. He highlighted all of the important promises Harry made to Camille and Cossette and then always failed to keep. As Blaise finished, Camille felt pretty confident that Hermione would have a tough time breaking her. But Hermione came out of the gate swinging.

"Do you love my client, Dr. Gordon?"

"I loved him, yes."

"But you don't love him with your whole heart do you?"

"I loved him with everything I could give him. But his job was his true love."

"Do you love Mr. Malfoy?"

Camille swallowed hard. "Yes." The courtroom gasped audibly.

"So you admit to having feelings for Mr. Malfoy while married to Mr. Potter?"

"I do. But I never acted upon them."

"How are we to know that Dr. Gordon? You worked in close to proximity to Mr. Malfoy on a daily basis, while Harry fought for your safety sometimes hundreds of miles away. Who's to say you weren't having a secret affair?"

"I was a married woman and both Mr. Malfoy and I knew that. He respected my choice, and I loved being married to Harry. It truly was wonderful until other things got in the way."

"Such as your job?"

"Such as both our jobs. Harry and I have demanding jobs, and we the best we could to make things work."

"How many hours do you spend in the hospital on a typical week?"

"Close to 70. But no matter what, I found time to be with my daughter."

"Well, there couldn't have been much time left allotting time for sleeping and such. You may have been with your daughter at some point, but she took a backseat to your career as a Healer."

"She most certainly did not. I did everything in my power to provide for Cossette, mostly on my own."

"A bit of your father's temper, doctor?"

"It's been a rough day."

"Oh, but as a Healer, your days are always long and hard. Who's to say that one day Cossette might push your buttons and your true father's traits might just show themselves and you could hurt Cossette?"

"My birth father was a despicable man, and I have never raised a hand against my daughter. Voldemort's blood may run in my veins but I was not raised by him. The man who raised me taught me better than that. No matter how insane by day may be, I would never strike or harm Cossette in any way."

"It is true that you have struck Mr. Potter in fits of anger, yes?"

"I am ashamed to admit it, but yes. Sometimes my temper gets the best of me."

"Well, who knows when you'll snap and harm Cossette. I have no further questions."

"Well, all evidence has been submitted," Cormac announced. "You may step down, Dr. Gordon."

Camille made her way back to her seat hands visibly shaking.

"We will now hear our closing arguments."

Hermione and Blaise closed in turn, both making one last-ditch effort to plead their client's case.

"We will now recess for an hour as I deliberate over the matter," Cormac announce rising form his chair, and the courtroom stood, and filed out.

Both parties waited nervously in their chambers. The minutes ticked away like hours, and the hours like minutes. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Cormac reached his verdict. Everyone filed in, buzzing with pent up excitement.

"Will both parties please stand," the bailiff said.

"After deliberating over this case, I grant," Cormac took a deep breath, the suspense hanging in the air. Camille gripped the table so hard her knuckles were white. "I grant Dr. Gordon primary custody of her daughter Cossette." Half of the room cheered, and Camille broke down in tears of joy. "Mr. Potter shall get visitation on Wednesdays and every other weekend with his daughter," Cormac finished.

Camille hugged her legal team, sobbing yet smiling. She turned and shook Hermione's hand after Blaise, and just gawked at the sight before her. Harry was looking at the floor utterly defeated. She felt slightly bad for him, but the joy of getting to keep her daughter overshadowed any other feeling. Camille was floating on a cloud.

Both parties left the courtroom, and were met with a media frenzy. Camille smiled her way through the crowd, and back into the Ministry car, this time joined by Kaylee, Ron, and Draco. A smile forever plastered on her face, Camille rode back home, to her awaiting father and daughter. Relief flooded her system. Little did she know what was going to come in the future…


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

A year had passed since Camille had gained primary custody of her daughter. Cossette was now a bouncing five-year-old, who enjoyed the play dates her mother had set up with Luke and Jillian and also her neighbors. Camille felt it was better for Cossette to be with friends than stuck in a Muggle daycare center. Harry and Camille still had not come to terms with one another, and very rarely spoke. Cossette looked between her estranged parents one Friday afternoon, as they stood glaring at one another.

"Harry, it isn't practical to take your five-year-old on a dangerous mission following my mother and Lucius!" Camille huffed, standing in the living room dressed in her scrubs, getting ready to leave for work.

"It's my weekend with Cossette, and I can spend how I want to," Harry commanded.

"Use your brain, Harry!" Camille exclaimed. "You are not taking our daughter all over Europe in search of the two most wanted wizards! You're putting her in danger, and I won't stand for it! She's my daughter too!"

"But it's Father's Day weekend!" Harry whined.

"Then send your team of highly trained Aurors after them and you can join them beginning Monday morning. If you want to spend Father's Day with your daughter, then my mother and Lucius will still be there Monday. It's not like you're close to finding them in the first place."

"Everything I do gets us a little bit closer, Camille."

"Oh really? Well then, how close were two weeks ago, when somehow both of them ended up in my house while you were where? Oh yeah, Romania. So make your decision, Harry. Work or your daughter because there is absolutely no way she is going with you if you choose work."

"Fine. Come on Cossette, we're going to Hogsmeade." Harry took his daughter by the hand, barely grabbing her stuff and letting Cosette eek out a goodbye before Apperating away.

Camille sighed and noticed it was time for work, and Apperated to the hospital. She was on for a bone-breaking 48 hours, so she was glad Harry had picked spending time with his daughter over searching hopelessly for fugitives. Camille stepped through the doors, and was instantly mobbed by a flood of interns.

"Dr. Gordon! This man needs sutures, but won't let me do it."

"Doctor Gordon, I need you to sign off on these charts."

"Dr. Gordon! Can you help me? I can't do this!" a petite female intern sighed, holding up an enima.

The only sound that filled Camille's ears was the sounds of her name being whined. Now, Camille wasn't unnecessarily harsh with any of the interns, and many looked up to her, but this is not what she needed. She got enough whining from Harry this afternoon, and just couldn't take any more right then.

Camille grabbed the charts, scribbling her name across the dotted line. "Will some of you just grow up?" she huffed. "You want to be a bloody Healer, yeah?" They all nodded. "Then get used to it. Fitzpatrick," Camille said pointing to a burly redhead. "Convince Mr. Wilkins to consent to stitches. Hold him down if you must. Goode, I suggest you best be getting used to seeing naked butts. You're working in an ER, and even though we're wizards and witches, there are still some stupid ones out there. So, just shove it in and squirt. Then escort Mrs. Squires to the restroom, in a quick and timely manner. Believe me, you do not want to be caught between here and the bathroom when she blows." Camille had regained some of her sense of humor, by the end of her schpeel.

The interns scattered. Camille made her way to the locker room, to drop her stuff off. She said her genuine hello's to the various doctors and nurses she passed, and smiled when she the familiar tones of bitching and complaining. Camille pushed the door open, to find a red-faced Draco and Hal Jenkins, the head of cardio-thoracics, standing a few feet away from one another in one of their obligatory pissing contests. Today, the subject seemed to be who would make the better chief of surgery when the time rolled around. Camille was undoubtedly Team Draco, though she had to admit Jenkins was a pretty awesome surgeon. Camille paid the specifics very little heed, as this argument occurred about every third day. After shoving her sandals into her locker, Camille sat down on the bench and laced up her ugly-ass supportive tennis shoes for her shift. She slung her white coat on, and set her stethoscope around her neck and magiked her hair into a neat French braid. Draco and Jenkins were still yelling at one another as if Camille didn't exist.

"Why don't you just whip out the boys and I'll measure to see whose is biggest," Camille smirked, conjuring a ruler.

The two turned to her, obviously shocked by the audacity of her comment. Camille didn't typically butt-in on their little squabbles, and Draco turned slightly redder with embarrassment that she had caught him in yet another pissing contest.

"Well, look who grew some cohones since her last shift," Jenkins said in a tone so akin to Snape's Camille could've sworn the two were relatives. "I like that in a woman," he breathed as he passed Camille, to which she recoiled. Jenkins gave Camille a tart smack on the ass, before pushing past her into the hustle and bustle of the hospital.

"Want me to Avada his ass for you?" Draco offered a little too hopeful.

"I appreciate the offer, but I think I'll let that one slide. I'm not in the mood to get in a row with him. I'm not giving in to what he wants."

"Harry again?"

"How ever did you guess?"

"Maybe it's your rosy glow. Is Cossette with him this weekend?"

"Yeah. I had to convince him that taking Cossette on a mission was not a smart idea."

"Seriously?"

"Yes. The Dursley's seriously messed him up. Not to mention the whole thing with Voldemort."

"Well, I better get going. I've got a series of 6 craniotomies starting in 15 minutes. Hey, if you're not busy maybe we can grab a coffee around 1 in the morning?"

"That sounds weird, but yeah, definitely. I'll need it with this bunch of yahoo interns." She and Draco shared a short laugh, and went their separate ways.

The hours passed slowly, as the ER was slow for the first time in months. Camille sat signing off charts that had piled up in the busy days. She finished writing and had to use a spell to get her hand to uncramp. Shaking it off, Camille went to her chief resident in the ER.

"Hey, Brody, can you cover this? I'm going to go see what I can do in Dr. Malfoy's OR. He might need an extra set of hands." At his nod, Camille set off to the OR, and went to the gallery, and sat down content on just watching Draco. He was an artist when in the OR. His perfectly sculpted features were wrought with concentration, his brow only slightly furrowed.

Draco looked up, as if he knew Camille was there, and smiled beneath his mask. Camille gave a finger wave back, and Draco asked a nurse to push the intercom button.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, slightly surprised.

"We're having a light night. Dr. Kimble is taking care of it. You need an extra pair of hands?"

"Well, I'm sure Mallory could use a break. She's been on for 42 hours already. You wanna take over?"

"Sure! I'll be right there!" Camille smiled, and went down to scrub in. Camille stepped into the operating room, and realized how it was just she and Draco in the OR. Since this was a wizard hospital, the need for an anesthetist was unnecessary. Camille was considering a switch to surgery because the stress from the ER was causing Camille to have various health problems from exhaustion to slightly high blood pressure. Granted, surgery was no walk in the park, but it was sure as hell easier than dealing with screaming children, irate parents, and constantly ill senior citizens. Not to mention, the whole situation with Harry.

The two stood in silence as Draco clipped an aneurysm. He cleaned the mess, and stepped aside.

"Dr. Gordon, would you like to close?"

"You're not serious are you?"

"I am serious. My hands are tired."

"I'm sure they are. This should be what? Number 5?"

"Number 6 actually."

Camille stepped behind the open skull. "Well, you finished quickly! I guess that coffee break can come sooner! Now, just tell me what to do."

Draco did so, and Camille followed his every word to the very last detail. Before they knew it, Camille was doing the sutures. Her fingers worked a mesmerizing precision, something Draco could only admire. He watched her fingers working delicately over the skin and needle, imagining the kind of finesse she would have at giving him a hand job. Draco felt his pants grow tight.

'_Shit. Great. Now, I have a raging hard-on. Good job idiot. Stop thinking about Cami like that. She'll come back to you when she's ready for it, and that's not yet. Get over it! Dumbledore in a man-thong! DUMBLEDORE IN A MAN-THONG!!!'_ That did the trick.

"You're sutures are perfect, Camille."

"I bloody well hope so. I freaking live in the ER. If I suck at sutures, I need to go back to my intern year."

"I was just giving you a compliment, Camille. No need to get all haughty about it," Draco said, wondering why Camille had been constantly rebuffing compliments. It's not like they'd made any effort to hide their intense friendship.

"Done. Coffee, in an hour?"

"Uh, sure. See you there."

"Yeah." Camille couldn't explain it, but she had a seriously bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. She walked away and out of the OR, Draco close behind her and into one of the on-call rooms. "Draco, please go away."

"What's the matter, Cami? You've been in a rotten mood all night. I try to compliment you and all you can do is shut me down. It's no fun for, Camille. Dr. Gordon, look at me."

Camille turned around. "You don't think I notice you giving me compliments, Draco? You don't think I blush every time like I'm some 17-year-old? I do. All that I can think about is us being together, but then I realize that I'm stuck with Harry who refuses to grow up. It makes me sick! I rebuff your compliments because I hope that if I do, maybe my heart won't ache for you to be Cossette's father. That I didn't regret the last 5 years of my life, save for Cossette. I shouldn't regret my life, Draco, but I do. I love you, Draco, but loving you shouldn't make me hurt."

"I understand, Camille. I've looked at you for the past five years with the most painful feeling in my chest. I couldn't and still can't breathe around you. I nearly go into anaphylactic shock when you enter a room. But you aren't with him anymore, Cami. It's time to not give a flying fuck what he thinks and be happy with your life! Do I regret letting you go? Every single day. But I'm not going to stop trying to get you back."

"Really?"

They stood there for a minute, staring at each other. Then they both moved in a single motion across the room to each other. Camille's hands grasped Draco's face tightly, as his wrapped snugly about her waist, and their lips crashed together. Hunger enveloped both of them, and the kisses grew more intense, more passionate, and more desperate. Their hands skimmed over every inch of each other, Draco pulling Camille's face up to meet his as hard as he could. They both groaned in content at the feel of having each other in their arms. They fell onto a cot together, and rejoiced in having found each other again.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Harry grabbed Cossette's hand and dragged her into the small cottage on the outskirts of Hogsmeade. He yanked the little girl along, too mad at Camille to pat heed to his daughter's cries of pain, and dropped into the small room that belonged to her. As he turned to huff away, Cossette finally got his attention.

"Daddy!" she called.

"What Cossette?" Harry growled.

"Are you mad at me? Because I didn't want to go with you to Austwia?"

"No, Cossette. I'm not mad at you. I'm just frustrated with your mother always telling me what to do when I'm not married to her anymore."

"You hurt me," she whispered.

"Oh. Cossette. I'm so sorry." Harry knelt by the little bed, and examined Cossette's wrist.

"No, Daddy. I meant that you hurt me when you get mad at Mummy. She's just worried about Grandma coming back and hurting me. And Grandma scares me too. Please tell me we aren't going. I don't want to. I have bad dreams enough."

Harry just stared at his little girl. How in the word did something so grown up come out of his five-year-old? "So, when did you grow up, Munchkin?"

"I didn't grow up, Daddy. Mummy says I'm smart for my age."

"You are, baby. At least you got that from your mother. You would go no where if you got my brains."

"Daddy, don't say that. I'm very proud of you. You try to keep me safe, and you need a big brain for that. I know Mummy yells, but I'm proud of you."

Tears formed in Harry's eyes. "Thank you, sweetheart. You have no idea how much I needed that."

"You're welcome, Daddy. So, what are we going to do this weekend?"

"We are going to go to the beach. We'll leave late tonight, so when you wake up in the morning we'll be on a beach."

"The beach! Yes! Thank you, Daddy! This is going to be so much fun!"

Harry and Cossette ate a dinner of macaroni-and-cheese and ice cream. Then, after much persuading, Harry gave into playing Barbie. It was a miserable failure on Harry's part, but Cossette was happy, and therefore so was Harry. The two laughed and played, and Harry couldn't stop smiling. He had finally remembered how good it was to be a father. He may not have been the best, but he made the best of what time he got to have with Cossette. Time passed quickly, but to the pair, the minutes seemed like hours. As the sun dipped below the horizon, Harry helped Cossette with her bath, and put her to bed. Harry looked down on his daughter, stroking her hair. Harry had no intentions of returning on Sunday to hand his daughter over to Camille. Harry had decided that he was going to run with her. Harry went and packed a bag. Somewhere close to 1 in the morning, Harry went and woke Cossette, telling her it was time to go. It didn't take long for Cossette to remember why she was awakened, and she began bouncing with excitement.

Standing on the curb, Harry looked down at Cossette. "Say goodbye for now, Cossette."

"Bye-bye Daddy's house!" Cossette said bouncing a ball in her small hands. One enthusiastic bounce later, and the ball went skittering into the road.

Cossette went rushing after it, but Harry was paying no attention to her. He had raised his wand in the air. Cossette accidentally dropped the ball again on her way back and bent down to get it. She looked up and all she saw were headlights. Blinded, she froze. Harry called for Cossette, but it was too late. Before Harry could move, he heard the most sickening thud he had ever heard.

"COSSETTE!"


End file.
